'Green' energy strategy launched
Wednesday, 01 September 2010 |  Duncan Alfreds  |  2 comments

Image by: Lauren Keith

Cape Town - The Western Cape Provincial Government has approved a white paper on sustainable energy that sets the strategic course for "green energy" in the province.

The province's economic growth has come at the cost of bio-diversity loss, MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredell told News24.

"We want to secure a supply of safe, clean energy in the Western Cape," he said.

According to Bredell’s department, the transport and industrial sectors in the province consume 81.8% of the total energy available and it predicted that demand will grow to 375 million GJ in 2020.

This growth rate is largely based on models that also show the province's GDP hovering at around 6%.

Blockages

Bredell said that the strategy was cross-sectoral and involved many departments.

"Public Works is affected by this policy and they're looking at shifting freight from road to rail," said Joos Roelofse, Acting Director at Strategic Environmental Management.

Bredell was also unapologetic to industries who may threaten to leave the province if it enforced policies that had an impact on the bottom line.

"At some point you need to enforce legislation and the Western Cape is leading the process for national (government).

"The larger industries negotiate on a national level, but I'm concerned about the smaller industries. How do we get them on board?" said Bredell.

The department conceded though, that despite a "close working relationship" between the provincial and national departments, there were blockages at national level that hindered the implementation on effective environmental policy.

"There are blockages between our department and national," said Rudi Ellis, head of the department. We'd like to see the Western Cape develop as a renewable energy hub for Southern Africa," he added.

Legislation

The department is making progress in greening its own buildings and has fitted some floors with environmentally friendly lighting, but has been limited by budget from installing solar power, said Ellis.

Bredell cited examples of possible renewable energy projects that were held up by current legislation and said that the legal framework made it difficult for private sector investors to enter the market.

"National government and Eskom are the blocks to the process," said Ellis.

"Its problems that only national government must solve," added Bredell.